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'Mad Men' creator Matt Weiner: 'I'm fighting for the cast and for the show'

March 30, 2011 | 1:38
pm

"Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner has denied that his negotiations with AMC and Lionsgate are about money, according to his conversation with a series fan site, Basket of Kisses. "There's been a lot of speculation and misinformation in the press about what is going on," he said. "I want the fans to know directly from me that I had nothing to do with this delay and it is not about money. I am fighting for the cast and for the show. And I appreciate the kindness and concern of the fans."

Weiner insisted that he hadn't sat down with AMC and Lionsgate to discuss the terms of bringing the show back for another season until three weeks ago. He confirmed that he'd been asked to cut six cast members (two per season). (Good thing Jon Hamm has another gig, just to be safe!) Weiner also denied that he's asking for $30 million. In fact, he said, "I offered to have less money, to save the cast, and to leave the show in the running time that it's supposed to be." (Weiner has reportedly disagreed with a number of AMC's requests, including shaving a few minutes off "Mad Men's" running time in order to make room for more ads.) "The harder that I've fought for the show," he said, "the more money that they've offered me."

He said he was impressed with fans' devotion to the show. "I can't even tell you what it's meant to me to have intelligent people who care about the show, who reflect about it, who obsess about it; it's been a total surprise to me," he said. "It's surpassed everything I would ever have expected."